SECURITIES

California Objects to Prudential Settlement: California authorities joined the state of Idaho in asking a federal judge to reject a proposed settlement that would pay just pennies on the dollar to more than 120,000 investors who lost several hundred million dollars from Prudential Securities limited partnership investments. The judge in New Orleans is due to rule Feb. 9 on the class-action settlement covering the Prudential Energy Income series of partnerships. The California Corporations Department said the settlement was inadequate and would interfere with pending state investigations of Prudential.